Chapter 15 #2
Yori and Serra nodded their heads as well, and Carissa looked like she was trying to hide a proud smile.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that Carissa wasn’t technically my subject. While she was a guest in Nalatria and my castle, she was still a citizen of Basstrum.
“So what happens after we have them on board?” I asked. “What’s the process look like?”
“We’ll call everyone together,” Vannesh explained. “And then you and Queen Doria will make your accusations against Queen Sybil. We’ll have an opportunity to present the evidence we’ve gathered, and then she’ll have a chance to defend herself.”
That sounded remarkably like the United States’ justice system.
“And then?” Yori asked. “Will there be justice? Can we imprison her or remove her from rule?”
“Yes,” Vannesh said. “The rulers present will pass judgment against her, and if the majority agrees her crimes are founded in evidence and do pose a serious threat to the people beyond her borders, then she can be removed from the throne.”
“Who will rule the Silver Coast if she’s removed?” Yori asked.
“As sitting king,” Tanell answered, “Giles would be first in line to take over the duties.”
“Is that a better option?” Serra asked with a nervous look in her eyes.
“He’s definitely a better option than Sybil,” Yori snorted.
“I agree,” I said. “He seemed like he wanted to try to convince Sybil to join our cause. I’d guess he’d be on our side and join with the rest of us.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Tanell murmured.
“Is there anything else I should know?” I asked. “Anything you two discovered or figured out since last night?”
“No, sire,” Palchur said. “We’re all up to date on everything at this point.”
“Then I guess it’s time to go speak with Doria and Enken,” I said.
I glanced around at my queens, Carissa, and my masters to see if anyone had anything else to add, but no one spoke up. They waited for me to make the call, so I did.
“Let’s go,” I decided.
Palchur was first to move out of the tent, and my queens followed behind him. I waited with Vannesh while Reggie and Tiberius helped him collect all the papers, notes, and maps he might need for whatever came next.
Once we were all ready, we headed outside with Palchur and the women, and everyone motioned for me to lead the group. I took a breath and headed toward Basstrum’s emerald-and-gold tent across the way.
Reggie jogged ahead of us to announce our arrival with Doria and Enken’s guards, and by the time the rest of us arrived, the queen and king were waiting for us at the front of their tent.
“Urgent news, hmm?” Enken asked when we reached them.
“Yes,” I said. “Can we speak in private?”
“Of course.” Doria gestured for us to come inside.
No one said anything as we all shuffled into Doria and Enken’s tent.
The table set up between the chairs still had their breakfast spread out across it, and I apologized for interrupting their morning.
“No apologies needed, my friend,” Enken said.
“Yes,” Doria agreed with a tense frown on her lovely face. “This matter is far more important. Besides, we can finish our meal while you fill us in on what’s going on.”
Enken, Doria, my queens, Carissa, Palchur, Vannesh, and I all settled into chairs, and we filled the Queen and King of Basstrum in on everything we knew.
Doria’s expression became increasingly shocked and horrified with each detail we revealed, and Enken’s jaw clenched so tightly that I worried he would crack a tooth.
“So…” I wrapped up. “I’m hoping you’d be willing to support me in accusing her of… What’s the actual crime we’re accusing her of here?”
“Crimes against the people of Kelshar,” Vannesh supplied. “As well as attempted assassination.”
“Is that actually a crime?” I wondered. “I mean, with the laws of inheritance and all?”
“It’s a crime unless it’s successful,” Enken explained. “At least that’s the specifics of the Silver Coast’s version of the law. If the attempt doesn’t end in the person becoming the new monarch, they can still be tried for it.”
“Strictly speaking,” Doria added. “Because Sybil is already the reigning monarch, she wouldn’t be protected by those laws anyway. Even if she’d been successful, it wouldn’t have ended with her becoming the new monarch because she is already the monarch.”
My head was spinning from all the convoluted specifics of the laws in this world, and I decided that, if I ever got to the other side of this bullshit and the war with Khorr, the laws of Nalatria were going to get a serious overhaul to simplify them and remove the laws of inheritance completely.
I didn’t like living with a constant bullseye on my back.
“Right.” I shook my head to clear it. “So now we… what? Gather the leaders together and confront Queen Sybil?”
“Pretty much,” Doria sighed. “Oh, and I was so hoping it would be a simple day.”
“No such luck, my love.” Enken put a comforting hand on his wife’s knee.
“Hang on,” I said. “Before we go… Do either of you have anything else you might be able to share about this process?”
I reiterated what Serra and Vannesh had told me about the sort of trial we were heading into.
“In Basstrum,” Enken began, “it’s known as the Trial of Peers.”
“Our history books have the most complete records on the process of any nation,” Doria said. “It’s nearly reached mythical status at this point. It’s been four hundred and sixty years since it was actually used.”
That tracked with what my people had told me earlier, and I nodded for Doria to go on.
“We’ll begin with confronting the accused,” Doria said. “Then we’ll present evidence, and the accused will have a chance to defend themselves.”
“How is the decision reached?” I asked.
“A conviction requires a two-thirds majority agreement,” Enken answered. “Assuming we can get a two-thirds majority, we will then have to decide on her punishment together.”
“Oh,” I huffed in surprise. “There isn’t a set punishment for crimes like this?”
“It’s all dependent on the circumstances,” Doria explained. “The last time a Trial of Peers was used, the king was executed for his crimes.”
“Then his government was dismantled,” Enken added with a look that said it was exactly the right choice. “That’s how Valnar became a democracy.”
“Huh,” I huffed. “Who made that decision? The other leaders?”
“No,” Enken said. “The reigning leaders act as judge, jury, and executioner if needed, but the fate of Valnar was left to the high-ranking officials who’d proven their loyalty to the people.”
“How did they do that?” Yori asked.
“If I remember correctly…” Doria pursed her lips thoughtfully. “They’d brought about evidence that proved King Lassar’s crimes and convinced the other monarchs to intervene.”
“As fascinating as that is,” I said to bring us back on track. “It doesn’t really apply here. So, Palchur, what do you recommend? How do we go about this as cleanly as possible?”
“We spread word to the other monarchs,” Palchur said. “Then we get soldiers outside Sybil’s tent to prevent her from fleeing. Ideally, we’d want to get our forces there immediately and before she catches wind of anything brewing.”
“Okay, start there,” I said. “Doria, do you have soldiers who can work with mine to keep Queen Sybil from leaving?”
“Of course.” Doria nodded and called one of her men over.
She murmured some instructions to the armored man before she dismissed him. He marched out of the tent like a man on a mission.
“Reggie, go with him,” I ordered.
My guard hurried off without delay.